Cable operated remote gear lever?

[Ken Hanna]

Callum and Geoff,
it's probably relevant that every single Ami 8 which rolled off Citroen's production lines had its brake calipers fitted that way round.
Also, the Ami 8 Estate was one of the heaviest of the A series vehicles, so under heavy braking (not breaking, svp ), its pads and calipers would have had to work harder than in most of the other variants.

Since it's easier to get at the handbrake on Dave's trike with them as they are, I'd recommend leaving them that way round, particularly since adjusting the disc type handbrake seems to be a task which some folk can find awkward.

Ken

[Geoff Ryall-Harvey]

There you go Dave - spared a job...

Ken - just out of interest, how would you plumb in the callipers in that application? Front hole, back hole or both using a union? The last one would give you the benefits of having a dual master cylinder maybe, but perhaps problems with ratio and pedal feel??

[billdavies]

Hi all,
I am with Callum on the brake assembly, the only thing holding the pads in is a silly spring, not enough in my opinion.
If it were my trike I would turn them around, as they should be. The total assembly is facing the correct way so the only problem may be the handbrake cables.
Other than that it looks a nice trike.
regards Bill D

[Ken Hanna]

Billl,
if you check, there are 11mm steel pins at both ends of the brake pads which serve to transfer braking loads from the pads into the calipers.

Anyway, Citroen made only 756,000 Ami 8s between 1969 and 1978, all of which had the calipers fitted this war round, but I guess it's too late to advise them of their folly...

Ken

Hi all,
I am with Callum on the brake assembly, the only thing holding the pads in is a silly spring, not enough in my opinion.
If it were my trike I would turn them around, as they should be. The total assembly is facing the correct way so the only problem may be the handbrake cables.
Other than that it looks a nice trike.
regards Bill D

[Greylag]

Hello Geoff, Callum, Bill, Ken,

Thanks for the input and the comments. I'd noticed they were the "wrong way" round when I looked at the manual but that's how they were fitted when I bought it. It has been MOT'ed 7 years so I thought well they would have picked up on it surely. I was all ready to change them when I read the posts you blokes had sent but I hadn't got on with it as I've had and still have other jobs to do. Thanks Ken for pointing out that they could be fitted either way, it's saved me another job.

While I'm on the subject I've been to a triker mates to day who builds them and he spotted that there was a fair bit of play in the tube connecting the gear rod to the linkage. The gear lever rod is 15mm OD and the tube connecting it is about 19mm ID so there is a lot of play. Hopefully once I start modifying the gear lever ie shortening it, I'll be using the correct ID tube so hopefully it will take a lot of the play out of it.

Regards
Dave

[billdavies]

Ken,
Not sure what you mean by 11mm pins at both ends...I have just changed my discs and had to pull a spring out of the way and the pads fell on the floor. Under braking in the forward direction the pads locate against a pin within the caliper, the tails is located by the spring. Hence as Callum said the pads are pushed into the caliper.
Obiously when going astern the pads are retained by the spring pin...but then we are not travelling at 60mph...or are we!!!
regards Bill D

[Geoff Ryall-Harvey]

Duncan - as promised, here's a picture of the rose jointed gear change. I'm looking for some stainless M6 rose joints at a reasonable price to replace the zinc plated ones.